weight VOLKSWAGEN GOLF PLUS 2012 Owner's Manual

Never attach two child restraint sys te m s to one top tether strap or top tether anchorage.
Neve r attach a child seat tether strap to a
Never use ch ild restraint top tether
pant restraints.
Never secure or a ttach any luggage or other items to the top teth er anchorages.
a tether o r other strap is used to attach a
c hild restraint to the front passenger seat, make
sure tha t it is not so tight that it causes th e
we ight-se nsing mat for the A dvanced Airbag
T he heavier weight registe red can make the
Advanced Airbag work as though an
adult wer e on the se at and deploy the Adva nced Airbag when it should be s uppressed causing rious or eve n fa tal injury to the child .
If yo u must ins tall a rearward-facin g child seat o n th e fron t passenger seat because of ce ptional circumstances, but th e BAG
Facility .
Note
If you leave the child restraint with the tether strap firml y installed for seve ral days, this could leave a mark on th e upholste ry o n th e seat cu shion and backre st in the area w he re the teth er
s tra p was installed. The upho ls tery would also be permanen tly stretched around th e tether strap.
This applies especiall y to leather seats .
Follow the c hild restraint manufacturer's struction s w he n installing or remo vin g
Unlo ck th e backrest and fold it slightl y ward.
Gu ide th e upper tethe r strap under or along both s ides of the head restraint (depending on th e
c hild restraint model) into th e luggage
the backres t back into its upright position and press it firmly into th e locking
the c hild restraint to the lower chorage points.
priate anch orage.
Tighten the tether strap firml y so that th e child
restraint lies secure ly agai nst the
first read and no te th e introdu ctory infor mation and heed th e o n page
The followin g are som e sou rces of ad ditional formation about child restraint sele ct io n.
advises that th e best child restraint is one that fits your child and fits in your ve hicl e, and whic h you use correctly and co nsis te ntly.
Try before you buy!
Tran sport Tel.: I oder I (613) 998-86 16, wenn man in der Regio n ist.
www .tc.gc.ca/ roadsa fe ty
Sitting properly and safely
Nat io nal Hi gh way Traffic
www.nhtsa.gov
National Tel.:
B e lt
www.carseat.org
Volkswagen
118 119

Heavy loads innuence th e way your vehicle handles and increa se stopping distances. Heavy
load s that arc not properly stowed or secured can cause los s of contro l and serious injury . Always remember when transporting heavy
objects that a change in the center of gravity also
changes the way your vehicle handles:
- Always dis tribute the load as evenly as
possib le. -heavy objects properly as far forward
in th e luggage compa rtme nt as possible.
- Always tie down heavy items secure ly using
th e tiedowns provided and suitable straps.
Never exceed th e Gross Axle Weight Rating or the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating on the safety compliance sticker on the left door jamb. Excee­
ding permissible weight can cause the vehicle to
skid and handl e diff erentl
y.
Always adapt your speed and driving to th e
heavi er load and the we ight distribution in the
vehicl e. Take road, weathe r, and visibility
cond itions into acco unt as we ll.
Stowing
on page 137.
Always stow all luggage securely in the vehicle
Distribut e loads in the vehicle, on th e roof and the trail er as even ly as possible.
Secu re lu ggage in the luggag e compartment with suit able tightening strap s to the tie-down page 142.
Adjust the headli ght page
Before driving
Drive especia lly carefully and accelerate
gently.
Avoid sudden braking and driving maneu­
ve rs.
Brake earlie r than yo u would if you were not driving a loaded
tire pressure. Heed the information on the tir e pressure page 276.
sure Monitor ing Syste m, the system may need to
be adjusted for the new page
CD Note
The heating wires in the rear window can be se­
vere ly damaged by hard or sharp things on the sh elf below the rear window.
review inf ormation about loading a page 152 and a roof rack 149.

Driving a
first read and note the introductory informat io n and heed the WARNINGS on page 137.
F
or good h andli ng w he n driving a loa ded ve hicl e,
please observe the following:
Secure ly stow page 138.
Dr ive especially caref ully and acce le rate gently.
Avoid sudd en braking and driv ing man eu ve rs.
Brake earlier than you wou ld if yo u were not
drivi ng a loa ded vehicle.
page 152.
If applicabl e, observe information rega rdin g driv in g w ith roof page 149.
Weights and
firs t read and no te the introductory information and heed the WARNINGS o n page 137.
The gross weight of any vehicle depends on its en gin e, basic equipment, an y factory- in stalled
optional equipment for the given model, and any retrofitted accessories. T he gross vehicle weig ht
rat ing
catio n Label loca ted on the door pillar of the dri ver
door.
The gross vehicl e we ight rating includ es the
weight of the ve hicle itself w ith of its tank of gaso line, the
Before driving
lo ads can ch ange the way your vehicle
h andles and incre ase stop ping dista nces. loads that are not properly sto wed or secured can shift suddenly, causing loss of co ntrol and serio us injury.
the load prope rly to keep it from
shifting.
A lways remember w hen tra nsp o rtin g
h eavy obje cts th at th ey vehicle's cente r of gravity and also the way it handles.
- Always dis
tribute the load as eve nly as
possible. -h eavy obj ec ts as far forward in
th e luggage compartment as poss ible. -If your ve hicle has tie-downs in the
Always tie down heavy items securely wit h
s uitable straps.
Secure ly latch th e rear backrest in the upright position .
Never excee d th e Gross Axle Weight Ratin g
o r the Gross Weight Ratin g on the safe ty compliance sti cker on the left door jamb. Exceeding permissi b le weight ca n ca use the
ve hicl e to skid and ha ndl e diff erently.
Always adapt speed and drivi ng to th e
h ea vie r load and th e we ight di stribution in the vehicle.
Always accelerate gently and avo id
s udd en braking an d drivin g maneuvers.
Always brake ea rlier than yo u wo uld if you were not drivin g a loaded ve hicle .
engine oil and coola nt, lbs/68 kg per seatin g position ) and ca rgo .
T
he gross axle weig ht ra tin gs sp ec ify th e imum allowab le load for ax le.
The cargo payload may not be increased by using
a roof rack without commen surat ely reducing th e
we ig ht from vehicle Dete rmin ing
th e gross vehicle weight page 276.
pay load cons is ts of th e co mbin ed w eight of th e following:
Passe ngers.
Tota l luggage and othe r ca rgo .
Roof load including the roof rack system.
Tong ue weig ht for trailer towing.

Gasoline engines
Maximum power Eng in e
Transmission output ne t)
code
5-speed
1 25kW
manual
A utomati c ---125kW _a)
6-speed
m anual
1
47kW cerA DSG® 6-speed autom atic
1 47kW
I nforma tio n not availab le
n et) code Transmission
6-speed manual
Exceed
ing m aximum permiss ibl e w eight ratin gs
ca n
Neve r let th e actual weights at the front and rea r ax les excee d th e permissible Gross Axle
remember that the ve hicle's handling and braking will be affected by extra load and the distributi on of thi s load. Adju st your s peed accordin gly.
Transporting
G ross front Gross rear
weig ht
weight ratin g weight weight
rating rating
--
---
-kg"l
Gross front
Gross rear G ross veh icle
axle
axle weight
weight weight rating weight
rating rating
-
Note
A
lwa ys distribute th e eve nly and as low as possib le in the vehicle. The ve hicl e capacity
weight figures appl y when the lo ad i s distributed
eve nly
141

Never exceed tJ1e ve hicle's g ross veh icle
we ig h t ra lingorgross axle weight
ti on Label lo ca te d on the doo r pilla r of th e dri ver door. E xceeding th e permi ssible w eight can cause the ve hicl e to s kid and behave
A lw ays ad apt your sp ee d and driv in g style to
accommodat e your payload and its we ight t rib uli on with in yo ur ve hicle.
ally and gen tly and av oid sudden
Note ------------------~ Th e de fogge r heating w ires or antenna in the rear w ind ow can be damage d b y item s in the s tora ge
a rea rubbin g against th em .
The ve ntilatio n slo ts be twee n rear window and the lu ggage compartm ent cover must be k e pt free of obstru ctio n so that stal e air can escape from the vehicle.
Folding the backrest of the rear seat forward and back into place
Fig. 86 Rear seat: release
first r ead and no te th e introductory inf orm ation and heed the on page 142.
The rear back res t is divid ed into two sections. Each
sectio n of th e rear backres t can b e folded d own d iv idu ally to in crease the lu ggage sp ace.
Fo ldin g th e re a r back res t forward
the head restrai nt all the down p age 56.
66 while fo ld in g th e rea r bac krest forwa rd.
Th e rear backre st i s unlocked if the re d ma rk
ca n be see n on the bu llon
the rea r back rest is folded dow n, no one , cluding childre n, may rid e o n th e rear seat.
Transporting
Fo ldi ng the rear back rest back int o place
Fold the rear backrest b ack until it en g ages
The red mark on the release ®should
n o lo nge r b e v is ib le.
The rear backre st m ust b e sec urely lat ched into
p lace i n order for th e s afe ty be lt s o n th e rear seats
to provide optimal pro tection.
Never fold th e re a r b ackrest u p o r dow n w hile
th e ve hicle is m ov ing.
W hen f oldin g th e rear b ackrest back up,
m ake sure that the safety belt does not ge t
ca ught or d am age d.
Keep h an ds, fingers , fee t a n d other b ody parts o ut of th e rest up an d down.
move fonvard gether w ith th e rear b ackres t in the eve nt of
s u d de n

Securing a
first r ead and note the introdu ctory information and heed the on pag e 149.
It is no t pos sibl e secure a load unless the roof rack sys te m has bee n pro perly
Maximum permissible roof load
Th e ma ximum permi ssibl e roof load is l65lb s. (75 kg). Th e roof load is the combined weight of
the roo f ra ck and the item s bein g carri ed on th e
Transporting
Checking the mountings
Afte r the base carrier and rook rack have been in­
s talled, check all bolt s and faste n ers after drivin g a
s h ort time and at regular int erva ls th ereaft er.
If the maximum permissible roof load is ex­
ceeded, accidents and substantial vehicle damage may occur.
Never exceed the specified roof load, the maximum gross axle weight rating, or the gross
veh icle weight rating .
Always make sure that loads are evenly dis­
tributed and that heavier it ems are, as far as pos­
sible, toward the front.
Loose
or improperly secured item s can fall off the roof rack and cause accid ents and injuri es.
Always use suitabl e, undamaged tie-down
ropes and ratchet straps.
the load
151

In thi s section lowing:
Techni cal requirem ents ..... ............•. . . . 153
Hitching up and connecting a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Loading the traile r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Dri ving with a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
mo unt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Retrofitting a traile r hitch . . . . . . . .
country -s pecifi c requir em elll s about trailer
towin g and trai ler hit ches.
Your Volkswage n was mainl y designed f o r ca rryin g
passen gers. If yo u plan to tow a trail er, ple ase member your ve hicl e will be perfo rming job for
which it wa s no t primarily in tende d . Th e tion alload will aiTec t durabi lity, handling, fu el
economy, and p e rf ormance , and may re quir e th e
veh icle to be service d mo re ofte n.
T ra
iler towing only place s more str ess on th e
ve hicle , calls for more concentration from the
dri ver. Always follow the o p era ting and dri ving s tru ction s give n, and use common sense.
perm issible bar load
exerted on th e ball moulll should not exceed
More informati on:
ala rm pag e 38
page
Sav ing fuel and h elpin g th e en vir onment 198
S tarti ng ass istanc e page
T ires and page 276
acc essories, repairs and modifica tion s
Riding in a trailer is dangerou s and may be legal.
Before driving
Improper use o f the trailer hitch ca n cause
correct, or damaged trailer hitch ca n cause the
trailer to separate from the towing ve hicl e and cause se rious personal injuri es.
use an undamaged , properly mounted trailer hitch.
Never repair or modify the trailer hitch.
To reduce the risk of injury in rear-end sio ns and th e risk to pedestrians and cyclists when the vehicle is parked, always remove the ball mount when a trailer is not being used.
Neve r in stall a or hitch on you r ve hicle. The hicle was not design ed for these kind s of trailer
hit ch es. The hitch attachment can fail , ca using
th e trailer to tear loose from
Improper trailer towin g can cause loss of vehicle
co ntrol and serio us personal injury.
Driving with a trailer and carry ing heavy
o r large things can change th e way the vehicl e handles, increase the distance it need s to sto p
safely, and ca use accidents.
Always secure the load properl y with suitable and und amaged straps so that th e load will not
s hift .
Alw ays adapt your sp ee d and driv in g to
th e heav ier load and weight distribution in the vehicle. Take road, weather, traffic, and
Reduce your s pe ed even more th an yo u otherw is e would when going downhill and und er
unfavorabl e lo ad, weather, or wind co ndition s.
a lo w center of grav ity.
Always avo id sudd en maneu vers and hard
Be especiall y caref ul when pas sin g other ve hicl es. Reduce sp eed immediately if the traile r
shows the slightest sig n of swaying.

Any problems with the vehicle's elec trica l system when attached to a trailer should be chec ked by an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility.
Loading the trailer
Pleas e first read and note the introductory information and heed the on page 152.
Towing capacity and tongue weight
Towing capac ity is the load that th e vehicle can
159.
The towing capacity and tongue weigh t indicated on the model plate o f the trail er hit ch are only re f­
e ren ce value s. The vehicle-specific values, which are often below these values, can be found in the vehicle document s. Specificat ions in officia l ve­
hicl e documents alwa ys take precedence.
To help en sure optimum handling and driving safe ty, Volkswagen recommends always using the
not handle as well.
Tongue weight increases the load on the rear axle and, in turn, reduces the remaining pay load your ve hicl e can cor­
rect load limit.
Combined towing weight
towing weight is th e we ight of the
l oaded tow in g vehicle plus th e we igh t of th e
l oaded trailer.
In some countries, su ch a s th e States and Ca nada, trailer s are organ ize d in to cla sses. swagen recommend s askin g an authori zed swage n dealer or auth orized Volksw agen Se rvice
Facili ty about suitabl e trailer s.
Thi s
vehicle has not been desig n ed to tow a traile r and must n eve r be retrofitted to tow a II trailer. Always make sure that your vehicl e has been designed to tow the trai le r you want to use and that is is legal to tow the traile r where you be driving.
T ronsporting
Loading the trailer
The weig ht dist ribution in the vehicle and tra iler
mu st be balanced. th e maximum permissible
tongue weight and make sure that the load in the
trail er i s eve nly di stributed and that it is not front­
h eavy or back-heavy:
Distribut e th e load in th e trail er so that heavy objec ts are directly above the axl e or as close as
po ssibl e to the
Secu re load s properly on the trail er.
Tire pressure
Always follow th e trail er manufac turer' s tir e pres­
s ure recommendations fo r the trailer tires.
W h
en towing, inflat e th e towin g vehicl e's tir es to the maximum permissible press ure listed on th e
tir e pressure la bel pag e 276.
Exceeding
the maximum gross axle and tongue weight ratings, as well as the gross vehicle or combined towing weight ratings, can cause acci­dents and serious personal injury.
Never exceed the stated va lues.
Never let the actual weight at the front or rear axle exceed the Gross Axle Weight Rating for that
axle. Never let the combined front and rear weights exceed the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating.
Trailer loads
that are not properl y secured can shift when the vehicl e is moving or braking and suddenly change the way the vehicle handles,
causing accidents and severe injuries.
Always load the trailer properly.
Always secure the load properly with suit­able, undamaged straps that can be tightened so that th e load cannot shift.
154 155

Driving with a
Please fir st read and note the introductory
o n page 152.
Headlight settings
Towing a tra
ile r can ra ise the fron t end of th e ve­
hicle enough fo r the low beam s to blind other road u sers. the headlight ra nge adjustment feature
to lower the light cones as req uired . your vehicle does not have headlight range adjustment, have
the headli gh ts adjusted by an authorized Volk­swage n dealer or au th orized Volkswagen Serv ice Facility . Vehicles with gas-d ischa rge lamps self-adjus t to vehicle load an d do not need manual adjustme nt.
Special towing
considerations
Due to th e combined towing weig h t includin g the hi gh er gross vehicle weight, the stopping dis­tance is longer .
Before driving downhill , especially on hills that
a re long or steep, shift in to a lower gea r (m anual
t ransmi ssion) or a lower drive position (automatic
t ra n smi ssion) so that the eng in e helps to brake th e vehicl e. Otherwise, the b rake system could ove r­heat and might fail.
The ve hicle's center of grav ity and, i n
Weigh t dis tr ibutio n i s especially bad if the
tow ing veh icle is e mpty and the traile r i s loaded. If
you absolutely must d rive with this combination , drive with extra care an d at a reduced speed.
Starting off with a trail er on hills
Depend ing o n how steep the h ill is and the com­bined tow ing weig ht, a parked vehicle wi th trailer can roll backwards when yo u firs t sta rt mov ing.
When sta rti
ng off with a trailer on a hill :
Depress and ho ld the brake pedal.
Befo re driv ing
Ma nual transmiss io n : d epress th e clutch fully.
Shift into fir s t gear or drive posi t ion D page 179,
Unlock the par ki ng brake and release it
w hil e ho ld ing th e unl ock butto n.
page assistance systems.
Do not re lease th e parkin g bra ke leve r until the engine sta rt s to move th e vehicle fonvard. your veh icle has an automatic t ransmissio n, yo u can
also depress a nd ho ld the brake pedal for added b raking and then letup on th e brake pedal w hen
you feel th a t the vehicle to move fo rward.
Drive ahead slowly at first.
A lways watch what i s happening up a head
and a round you. Brake earlier than you would if yo u were not to wing a trailer.
Drive especially care full y and accel erate gently. Always avoid sudde n m an euvers and h ard braking.
Be especiall y care ful when p ass ing other hicles. Reduce speed immediate ly if t he trailer
s hows the s lightes t sig n of swayin g. Reduce speed immediatel y if the t ra ile r shows even the
slightest sig n of sway ing.
Neve r try to sto p th e swayin g by accelerating.

use trailer hitches that are approved b y Volkswage n for your ve hicl e and
Maximum weigh t
first read and note th e introductory informat io n and heed the on page 152.
Maximum permissibl e trailer
lbs.
weights
Automatic trans-mission
Trailer with _a)
Trailer with out brak e -
Tongue weight _a)
lnfonnation not a vailabl e at tim e of printing.
The gross ve hicle weight ratin g and the gross axle
we ight
pliance label on th e d rive r fr ont door pill ar. The
label can be seen when the door i s traile r is towe d, th e we ight of the ball mount and th e to ng ue we ight of the trail er are
ad ded to th e ve hicle weigh t
The trailer we ight
for
eve ry m ) of additi onal alt itu de.
T ransporting k
g
Manual trans-Automatic Manual trans-missio n transmission m ission
_a) 454
_a)
Exceeding the maximum permissi ble trailer and tongue we ight s can cause accidents and seriou s personal injury.
Never le t the actual weight at the front or rear forthat axle. Never le t the combined fr ont and rear
weight s exceed the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating.
Note
Exceeding the gross weight ratin gs can cause tensive ve h icl e damage that i s not co ve re d b y the manufacturer's
158 159